"What's it going to be like? Is it going to be loud?" Lankford said Bailey asked him.

Lankford just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, bro, it's going to be loud," Lankford replied. "But it'll be a lot of fun."

An excited Bailey replied: "Yeah, man? I'm psyched."

Bailey, the former Bolingbrook star, entered Illinois with a lot of fanfare and expectations. But as much as fans want to cast him as a program kick-starter, he still is a freshman — someone who still is learning the college game, someone who is learning that he's not at Bolingbrook anymore and that, yeah, Nebraska probably is going to be pretty loud.

"He has to learn what it takes to be a Division I starting quarterback in the Big Ten," senior starting quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase said. "There's a lot that goes to playing quarterback and you have to be ready for all those things."

One of those things includes talking to the media. This week, Bailey and the rest of the Illini freshmen are allowed to speak to reporters for the first time this season. Bailey already has the cliches down pat.

He spent most of his session thanking God for his chance to play (four times, to be exact) and saying all he wanted to do was contribute or do his job as best he could (five times). That was a good thing, Scheelhaase joked, because sometimes freshmen say too much.

But Bailey ultimately comes across as a humble and genuine guy who means what he says and really is happy to be here.

"My dream was always to play as a true freshman," Bailey said. "So when I get the opportunity to play, I try to grasp it."

Bit by bit, he is grasping the Illini's offense and where he fits into it. He has his own set of formations and usually comes in during short-yardage situations as a runner.

"You kind of get the sense if it's third-and-short, that's when I know," Bailey said. "I just wait on the sidelines until (offensive coordinator Bill Cubit) calls the formation."

And he has been productive in his limited role. He is tied for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns and earned Big Ten freshman of the week honors after rushing for 56 yards and a score against Miami of Ohio. Cubit slowly has added to Bailey's plate but is careful not to put too much on it.

"I'm only going to go as fast as he can go," Cubit said. "I don't want to overload him. I've seen that too often where you overload a guy and all of a sudden you lose him."

Bailey has a lot to learn, but he is more than willing to ask questions and take the necessary instruction. Before long, he likely will have this whole college thing figured out.

"Once you get the reps," Bailey said, "and you come in the game it becomes second nature."